Going Off the Grid

Some have called him crazy, but NRG CEO David Crane sees a day when consumers will supply their own power. From lawyer to deal maker to boss.

For the past century, Americans paid electric utilities to supply power via a centralized grid. In the future that David Crane envisions—coming soon to homes near you—individuals will generate their own power via solar panels and other technologies, while relying on power plants only for critical needs. Those who produce excess energy might even be able to sell it. The revolution in power distribution could make the telephone industry's convulsions look tame.